A week of wholesome conversations is what it takes for Taehyung to conclude that Jungkook is indeed a good man and the best suitor for prince Jimin, hence someone he could confide in. During his daily visits to the farm, every moment is employed in conversing together, and there is no room for boredom. They talk about everything - from what they do for a living, to what they dream of doing, and yet, Taehyung is not entirely sure what made him open up to Jungkook.

There is something in his manners that brings a sense of security to the moments they share together, a rarity that makes Taehyung forget they were once strangers at all. It is something that irremediably comforts and emboldens him to say the most trivial of things without the paralyzing fear of being judged. Jungkook is made of something that cannot be found in others, and perhaps it has to do with the mysterious aura that floats about him, or the candid faith he has in his beliefs when he speaks of them. Or, perhaps, it is the way he regards Taehyung with such ardent serenity present in his eyes, how he reads him like an open book and still manages to not seem intrusive.

Or, maybe- maybe he does not know him at all. But he wants to, and his soul vibrates with the b expectation of seeing Jungkook again.

Contrary to Taehyung's high spirits, this sunless and dull morning threatens to take a turn for the worse, angry dark clouds glaring at him as he gallops past the river and towards the farm he's gradually growing fond of. Timid raindrops soon start to caress his cheeks and nose, they are light and gentle for the most part of his journey before nature decides against it and the few scattered droplets double in number and thickness, falling down harder.

By the time he arrives at Jungkook's farm, both his hair and coat are sufficiently damp to feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, he is able to locate Jungkook's figure near the stables, the man rushing to get one of the horses inside as it begins to fully pour down. Taehyung calls his name but he is not heard, and so he urges his horse towards him.

Jungkook does not see him approaching and disappears into the darkness of the stable. Taehyung hops off his mount with the intention of handing over the letter, but as he is about to pass through the entryway, Jungkook steps out, and they helplessly crash into each other.

The impact is insignificant, with Jungkook not even budging an inch and Taehyung reeling backwards mostly out of shock. Still, there is an eager, strong hold on his arm that prevents him from falling - if he were to fall, that is.

"Sorry," they utter simultaneously, breaking into this awkward, short-lived laughter right after.

None of them say a thing. They limit themselves to greeting each other with honest eyes that bleed silent longing and subtle sparks of adoration. Taehyung realizes that Jungkook seems to be just as drenched as he feels, black strands of hair plastered to his forehead and clammy shirt perfectly hugging every hard muscle of his torso. He swallows dryly, immediately tearing his gaze from Jungkook's abdomen.

A sudden bolt of lighting makes his horse neigh pathetically behind him, and Taehyung turns around in a haste to comfort the poor startled animal. He rubs the damp fur of her neck with his hand and whispers soothing words to calm her, but nothing seems to work - her ears remain flat, her eyes wide, and her whining only increases.

"A storm is coming," Jungkook's vibrant voice announces as he steps out into the pouring rain to swiftly move between Taehyung and his mare. "They can feel it," he promptly takes hold of the reins, leaving Taehyung unable to look away from the entire process. Years of experience are clear on the skilled way in which his firm hand wraps around the leather straps, and one deliberate tug is enough to steady the animal that promptly settles down as if on command. "Let us get her inside, I am sure there is at least an empty stall left for her to use."

Before he makes a move however, Taehyung speaks, not willing to take advantage of Jungkook's hospitality. "Actually, there is no need. I was meaning to give you this," he grasps the letter from under his coat and shows it to him, "and take my leave before it gets worse."

Jungkook shakes his head in evident disapproval, refusing to take the letter. "It is too late for that, Taehyung. The storm is over our heads already, and I will not have you leave on weather as hostile as this," he huffs, walking past Taehyung to get his horse into an empty stall.

Taehyung does not argue further, but he does not follow him either, stubbornly standing outside as his clothes get more and more drenched. Jungkook comes out again and eyes him with an arched eyebrow, "What are you doing?"

"I hardly know," he shrugs, "I do not wish to be a bother."

"Taehyung," Jungkook sighs, "How many times must we go through this? You are never a bother to me, never. Come here," Taehyung is not given the opportunity to move on his own before Jungkook grabs his arm and effortlessly pulls him inside the stable. "You got yourself soaked. We should get you dry and warm, else you fall ill."

"I will be fine," Taehyung wriggles out of his hold, irked by the patronizing tint of Jungkook's words. "I may not be as strong as you are, but I am not a weakling."

"Why do I find that hard to believe?" He teases, but seeing Taehyung's attempt of a glare makes him speak again, "We shall settle this disagreement like gentlemen: a race to my house, and the last one is a weakling."

"As you wish, but I do expect you to play fair, Jungkook."

"You insult me. I always play fair."

On the count of three, they sprint across the fields and towards the blue house in the middle, rain falling upon them relentlessly. Taehyung smiles, smiles so big it hurts. This is easily the most exciting thing he has ever done in years; he can feel the joy bubbling up in his chest. Never once, since childhood abandoned him, has he felt this boundless, so alive and free.

Taehyung struggles to keep up with Jungkook's rapid pace, his legs strain to move faster, hot blood rushing through his veins, but in the end, his effort matters not, and the gap between them only seems to expand. He watches mesmerized at Jungkook, who smoothly turns around mid-race to face him with a concerned look that instantly morphs into something else, flashing an open, boyish smile of delight.

"Tired already?" He shouts, huffing from the exertion of doing so much at once, "What an easy win!" Jungkook taunts, looking so lively and athletic while running backwards, like it is the easiest thing to do. Taehyung sticks out his tongue in a mocking gesture, tasting rain on his lips. Jungkook laughs and turns around again, yelling that he better hurry up.

When they finally take shelter inside the house and the door closes behind them, both of them are out of breath and soppy with a mixture of sweat and rain, bodies standing much closer than what may be normally expected. Despite the place being quite dim, illuminated only by a few scattered wick lamps, Taehyung can easily distinguish the euphoric glint in those dark eyes that peer intensely into his own, searching. And Taehyung wonders what is it that Jungkook looks for, but he gets easily distracted by the few occasional drops running down the rest of his handsome features. Only when his whole body shivers from the cold does Taehyung snap out of his reverie, hugging himself to provide at least a bit of much needed warmth.

Jungkook seems to come to his senses as well, swiftly going around him to fetch a lamp from the nearest wall and beckoning Taehyung to follow.

He is made to sit on the plush white fur of a huge rug facing the fireplace, where Jungkook leaves him to disappear into one of the rooms.

A tingling sensation settles on his stomach the moment Jungkook comes back to kneel really close behind him, the gentle weight of his coarse hands falling on his shoulders.

"You should take this off," his voice is low as he tells Taehyung this, a whisper that is perhaps inoffensive in its nature and meant to soothe him, but it ignites something in Taehyung, and the heat that radiates from his body, plus their close proximity, does not help mitigate the feeling at all. His limbs are somehow frozen and unresponsive, making it an impossibility to shed off his coat himself.

However, Jungkook seems to have wanted to aid him from the start, his hands working ever so slowly, carefully shedding Taehyung's drenched coat that is surely not worth this much consideration. The rough pad of his fingertips linger on Taehyung's exposed nape for two seconds too long, and it seems accidental at first, but as he continues to pull the coat down, fingers gliding across the expanse of his shoulders and arms and clearly feeling through the buttoned shirt he is wearing, it becomes evident that the touch is deliberate. Taehyung's cheeks set ablaze as he tries to convince himself otherwise.

A hushed apology reaches his ears. Jungkook stands, stomping away rather loudly in what appears to be a mixture of embarrassment and regret, and Taehyung ceases to breathe for a second, confusion settling on his chest.

Not a single word is spoken as he accepts the dry blanket that is placed over his stiff shoulders. It puzzles him even more that Jungkook appears too mortified to even glance his way. Taehyung understands they are to forget the incident. His eyes focus on the of fire in front of him as he forces his mind to astray, trying to think of something, anything, but the ghost of Jungkook's fingers on him.

Jungkook comes and goes, minutes pass, and nature begins its rampage outside. The wind howls in an ominous manner that will surely give him nightmares lasting a lifetime, fat droplets of rain incessantly knock on the closed windows as if begging for entrance, and the murmur of the first thunder makes the entire house tremble. Taehyung shifts and fidgets, uneasy. He has never been keen of thunderstorms, after all.

His hair and clothes are dry by now, and Jungkook was compassionate enough to make warm chamomile tea for the two of them without being asked to, but Taehyung cannot help it. He feels terribly abandoned in the distressing silence Jungkook bestows upon them as he sits by his side, ignoring Taehyung in favor of reading the letter.

Taehyung's face hardens into a frown when a flash of lighting seeps through the closed curtains, and he begins to count in his head, dreadfully waiting for the thunder to strike.

"Taehyung," Jungkook's voice is sweet as honey compared to the horrifying sounds that he has been enduring during the past ten excruciating minutes, and Taehyung schools his expression before hesitantly turning his head to look at him. They are close, he realizes, close enough that their knees graze each other, and he briefly wonders how he didn't notice earlier. Strangely, their personal space remains unperturbed, as if being this close is the only way to be. "I have been thinking, shall I write the reply while you are here?"

Slightly perplexed by the odd question, Taehyung does his best to ignore the striding thunder, and focuses on Jungkook.

"I-I suppose you shall. We are trapped in here until the storm passes, anyway."

Jungkook carelessly lowers prince Jimin's letter to the floor, leaving it in plain view for Taehyung's curious eyes to see. Taehyung forces himself not to look.

"No, what I mean is, today and from now on, too," Jungkook explains. "I believe if you go back with a reply instead of empty hands it makes much more sense, do you not agree?"

"Oh. Yes, definitely." Taehyung nods, smiling. "Prince Jimin will be most pleased, to both send and receive a letter from you on the same day. What a genius idea, Jungkook."

Jungkook's eyes glisten, and Taehyung thinks it is the mention of prince Jimin what put those sparkles in there, not his words of praise. He scolds himself for even daring to think that this man, who is so obviously infatuated with the prince, had somehow wished to touch him in an intimate way.

"So, shall we make this a daily occurrence? You, staying with me until the letter is written?" Jungkook looks and sounds like an overexcited puppy, and Taehyung is torn between wanting to pinch his cheeks or laughing at the ridiculous change of character. He does none, of course.

"Yes, Jungkook, we shall do that."

"Great. I promise not to take long with my replies, the last thing I want is to cause you trouble by keeping you from your work."

"It is fine, but I do think you should be left alone if you are to write something so intimate... Will I not be intruding? "

"Trust me, you won't." He beams. Caught in the brilliance of his smile, Taehyung is far from suspecting that his words hide a secret meaning. "Right, I almost forgot. Are you hungry?"

"A little, but you need not feed me, Jungkook. My stomach can perfectly wait until I get back."

Jungkook dismisses him with a flick of his hand and stands up. "Nonsense. Wait here."

Taehyung lets out a sigh, lightly shaking his head. Is there an end to Jungkook's kindness? He is starting to feel indebted to him.

When Jungkook comes back with a basket of strawberries in one hand, Taehyung's eyes sparkle and his mouth waters.

He sits down next to Taehyung and smiles sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "You told me you liked strawberries, and I happened to get a handful yesterday."

His heart falters, insides melting. "Oh, Jungkook, you remembered," Taehyung whispers, not bothering to conceal the huge smile that blooms on his face. "It is most thoughtful of you...I am delighted, thank you, but you did not have to--"

"It is nothing, really," Jungkook assures him, still shy as he offers the whole basket to Taehyung. "These are from the Jung's farm, a friend of mine. They're practically free."

The sweet, fruity fragrance fills his nostrils and Taehyung finds them most appetizing, all succulent bright red. "They look delicious," he mumbles appreciatively.

"Well, they taste so," Jungkook confirms, digging his hand into the basket to bring one of the biggest strawberries up to Taehyung's face. "Try one, come on. Fruit spoils if you only look at it."

Taehyung gladly accepts the fruit offered to him and takes the entire piece into his mouth. His eyes widen at the rich flavor that explodes on his tongue, and he looks at Jungkook, who simply smiles before taking two pieces into his mouth himself. He twists his face in an exaggerated manner as he chews with the sole purpose of making Taehyung laugh, which he inevitably does.

They peacefully eat some more until Jungkook produces a sheet of paper, an ink bottle and a plume from his pocket. Taehyung watches as he skillfully wiggles the plume around his fingers, signaling that he will get to work on the reply now. Placing the white paper on the rug, Jungkook bends slightly, supporting himself on his forearms, and begins scribbling.

As Jungkook is busy on his task, Taehyung entertains himself by risking multiple glances at his concentrated face where shadow and light dance beautifully, listening to the crackling sound of the fireplace and the rain pouring outside.

Taehyung's teeth dig unconsciously on his lip. He tries to be subtle, but he cannot bring himself look away, and he knows he is not entirely at fault - Jungkook is easily the most handsome man he has ever seen. It's fascinating to watch how his features draw tightly as he thinks, the way his tongue darts out to glide across his lips every now and then, and how he bites his inner cheek when the plume dries out and needs to be dipped in the ink.

Prince Jimin is one fortunate man.

»»————««

It is most challenging seeking to focus on the boring letter he is doomed to write when he has Kim Taehyung sitting right beside him, emanating a warmth he is steadily growing addicted to. What he yearns to do right now is the simplest of complications: to gawk at the blond to his heart's content. However, Jungkook is well aware that his heart would never be satisfied, for Taehyung's existence alone is absolutely captivating and downright maddening, and to stare at him indefinitely would be by all means strange, to say the least.

Jungkook catches him staring again, and again, and again, and every time he does, those doe eyes widen for a second or two before dropping to the floor in sheer abashment.

He resists the urge to smirk, and thoroughly ponders if he should say something about it. Oftentimes, when Taehyung is present, Jungkook finds it especially intricate to have control over what he says and does - he acts on impulse, which is rare of him, and so now he is overcome by the crippling dread of scaring Taehyung away with his disarray.

"What is it?" Jungkook finally queries, dropping the plume and abandoning the letter altogether. Emboldened by Taehyung's blush, he tilts his head and undoes the second button of his shirt, pretending to be innocent in his ways. He pretends not to know the reason behind the blond's furtive glances, pretends not to think of Taehyung's tentativeness as the depiction of utter adorableness.

"Nothing," Taehyung mumbles and drops his gaze, taking interest in his lap.

Really, what a lovely display. Jungkook couldn't conceive an angel more beautiful in both looks and character. But his face, oh, this Jungkook especially adored: his perfectly asymmetrical face, littered by little moles scattered in the most random of ways.

Bathed by the warm light of the fireplace, Taehyung's golden skin glows like a jewel would, and Jungkook believes this all-consuming infatuation will be the cause of his eventual demise. It is as if he is constantly throwing arrows that land true at Jungkook's poor, fragile heart, and Jungkook, despite being favorably quick-witted himself, is not entirely sure whether Taehyung does it on purpose, or he is completely oblivious. Both are equally menacing.

Occupied in observing Taehyung and taking note of what he does not say - a rather unhealthy habit he has adopted recently, Jungkook is slightly taken aback when he speaks anew, voice mellow.

"I wonder when it will stop."

"Soon, if the lack of thunder is any indication to go by."

His breath hitches the moment Taehyung's gaze unexpectedly meets his, "Do you think I could leave before noon?"

"I believe you could," Jungkook easily answers, the hint of a teasing grin dancing on his lips as he continues, "But do tell me, am I so disagreeable a company that you wish to leave as soon as possible?"

"Of course not," Taehyung is quick to answer, and to Jungkook he looks rather offended by the question. "If anything, you are most amiable, Jungkook. And you ought to know how grateful I am for every minute spent in your company."

"I can say the same to you, Taehyung." Jungkook flashes a sincere smile, Taehyung smiles back with even more fervor, and Jungkook is so overcome by this perfect rapture that he barely processes what he says next, "You are a sight worth staring at for hours on end."

Taehyung flushes red and ducks his head, "You should really not say such things."

"I am merely stating the truth. Have you seen yourself?" He boldly asks, heart thrumming on his ears as Taehyung curiously stares at him, flustered. "I could lend you a mirror, if you would like."

Taehyung meekly shakes his head. "There is no need, I know very well what I look like."

"I do not think you do." Jungkook cannot hold his tongue, Taehyung's reactions are too encouraging. "It has come to my attention that you seek opportunities to hide, to make yourself small and invisible. If I were half as handsome as you are, I would want the whole world to see me."

There is a brief pause in which they only look at each other. Taehyung speaks at last, hesitant, "But you are handsome, Jungkook, very much so."

Jungkook's pride swells, feeling lightheaded, yet he huffs, visibly unimpressed.

"Whatever handsomeness you speak of pales next to your beauty." He gushes, relishing in the way Taehyung's breath seems to get caught on his throat. Jungkook does not take notice, but he is gradually inching forwards until their noses are a breath from touching. His eyes rake all over Taehyung's features, and it should be impossible, but from up close, he is even more breathtaking. "Your hair, the shape of your lips, your eyes. All are meant to be adored, worshiped even."

"Please, stop." Taehyung pleads in a desperate whisper, but his eyes seem to tell otherwise, seem to beg for Jungkook to continue. "I do not think I have what it takes to survive such high praise."

Jungkook persists, "Your engaging temperament, too. Never have I ever met someone so good natured, dutiful and-"

"Jungkook!" Taehyung finally whines, all smiles and crimsoned cheeks as he pushes him away, lightly hitting Jungkook's chest in retaliation, and Jungkook relents only then, poorly disguising his laughter as timid rays of sunshine begin to filter through the curtains.